U.S. patent application number 15/086076 was filed with the patent office on 2016-10-06 for waterproof electrical connector and method for making same.
The applicant listed for this patent is FOXCONN INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGY LIMITED. Invention is credited to JING-JIE GUO, JUN ZHAO.
Application Number | 20160294104 15/086076 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55377109 |
Filed Date | 2016-10-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160294104 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ZHAO; JUN ; et al. |
October 6, 2016 |
WATERPROOF ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME
Abstract
An electrical connector includes: a terminal module including an
insulative housing and a number of terminals insert molded with the
housing, the housing including a base and a tongue extending
forwardly from the base; a metallic shield enclosing the terminal
module; and a sealing member positioned in front of the base and
sealed between the terminal module and the shield. A related method
of making includes: enclosing a metallic shield about a terminal
module; inserting a terminal protector into a front mating port of
the shield and module combination until abutting a part of the
terminal module; and applying a sealing material via the front
mating port into a space defined between the terminal module and
the shield to form a sealing member.
Inventors: |
ZHAO; JUN; (HuaiAn, CN)
; GUO; JING-JIE; (HuaiAn, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
FOXCONN INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGY LIMITED |
Grand Cayman |
|
KY |
|
|
Family ID: |
55377109 |
Appl. No.: |
15/086076 |
Filed: |
March 31, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R 43/24 20130101;
H01R 43/005 20130101; H01R 13/5202 20130101; H01R 13/502 20130101;
H01R 13/6581 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01R 13/52 20060101
H01R013/52; H01R 43/24 20060101 H01R043/24; H01R 43/00 20060101
H01R043/00; H01R 13/6581 20060101 H01R013/6581; H01R 13/502
20060101 H01R013/502 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 31, 2015 |
CN |
201510146483.0 |
Claims
1. An electrical connector comprising: a terminal module including
an insulative housing and a plurality of terminals disposed in the
housing, the housing including a base and a tongue extending
forwardly from the base; a metallic shield enclosing the terminal
module; and a sealing member positioned in front of the base and
sealed between the terminal module and the shield.
2. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
terminals are insert-molded within the housing.
3. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, further
comprising a metallic collar, and wherein the tongue has a rear
widened part on which the collar is mounted.
4. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the
base, the metallic collar, and the shield together define an
annular space and the sealing member is formed in the annular
space.
5. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
shield forms in front of the base a mating cavity in which said
tongue extends for mating with a complementary connector, and said
base defines a front face directly forwardly facing the receiving
cavity.
6. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein said
tongue forms a rear widened part joined with said front face of the
base, and the sealing member closely surrounds the widened
part.
7. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 6, wherein said
sealing member is further intimately attached upon the front face
of the base.
8. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein said
sealing member is further attached upon an interior surface of the
shield around said front face of the base.
9. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 6, wherein a
metallic collar is attached upon the widened part, and said sealing
member is intimately attached upon said collar.
10. A method of making an electrical connector, comprising the
steps of: enclosing a metallic shield about a terminal module;
inserting a terminal protector into a front mating port of the
shield and module combination until abutting a part of the terminal
module; and applying a sealing material via the front mating port
into a space defined between the terminal module and the shield to
form a sealing member.
11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the front port
communicates forwardly with an exterior along a front-to-back
direction, and said terminal module includes an insulative housing
and a plurality of contacts, said housing having a base and a
tongue extending forwardly from the base, and said contacts having
contacting sections exposed upon the tongue in a vertical direction
perpendicular to said front-to-back direction, said sealing member
being accumulated around a root region of the tongue and
successively be solidified to form an annular piece attached to an
interior surface of the shield.
12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein in the step of
applying the sealing material, the shield with the terminal module
is upwardly position to have the mating cavity upwardly face the
exterior so as to assure the liquid sealing material reaches the
root region of the tongue.
13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said root region is
covered by a metallic collar, and said sealing material is applied
upon the collar.
14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said terminal module
is formed by a multiple insert-molding process, and said collar is
integrally formed with the housing with one shot of said multiple
insert-molding process.
15. An electrical connector assembly comprising: an insulative
housing including a base; a plurality of terminals disposed in the
base; a metallic shield assembled to the base in a surrounding
manner and forming a mating cavity located in front of said base
and forwardly communicating with an exterior along a front-to-back
direction; a sealing member disposed in the mating cavity around a
front face of said base to seal a gap between an interior surface
of the shield and a corresponding outer surface of the housing in a
transverse direction perpendicular to said front-to-back
direction.
16. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 15,
wherein said gap is annular, and said sealing member is
annular.
17. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 16,
wherein said housing further includes a tongue unitarily extending
forwardly from the base in the front-to-back direction, and said
annular gap is located around a root region of the tongue.
18. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 17,
wherein a metallic collar surrounds the root region of the tongue,
and the sealing member is attached upon the interior surface of the
shield, the front face of the base and the collar.
19. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 17,
further including a protector detachably attached upon the tongue
to flow the liquid sealing material into the mating cavity to form
the annular sealing member.
20. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 17,
wherein said root region of the tongue is widened compared with a
front region of the tongue.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a waterproof
connector and its manufacturing, and more particularly to a sealing
member formed at or from a forward side of the connector.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Arts
[0004] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0236441
discloses a waterproof connector including a sealing member
disposed and compressed between a block receiving body and a
housing.
[0005] Sealing members or means for sealing between an outer body
and an inner terminal-carrying housing of a connector are not known
to be provided at or from a forward side thereof.
[0006] An improved waterproof connector is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a
waterproof electrical connector which is reliable in structure and
easy to make.
[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned object, an electrical
connector comprises: a terminal module including an insulative
housing and a number of terminals insert molded with the housing,
the housing including a base and a tongue extending forwardly from
the base; a metallic shield enclosing the terminal module; and a
sealing member positioned in front of the base and sealed between
the terminal module and the shield. A related method of making such
a connector includes: enclosing a metallic shield about a terminal
module; inserting a terminal protector into a front mating port of
the shield and module combination until abutting a part of the
terminal module; and applying a sealing material via the front
mating port into a space defined between the terminal module and
the shield to form a sealing member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector in
accordance with the present invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the connector in FIG.
1;
[0011] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the connector in FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the connector in FIG. 2;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a further exploded view of the connector in FIG.
3;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a further exploded view of the connector in FIG.
4;
[0015] FIG. 7 shows a terminal protector for use in making the
connector; and
[0016] FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but omitting an outer
shell of the connector for clarity purpose.
[0017] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector
with the protector attached thereon.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, a waterproof electrical connector
100 in accordance with the present invention comprises a terminal
module, a metallic shield 5 enclosing the terminal module, and a
sealing member 4 sealed between the terminal module and the
metallic shield 5. The terminal module may include an insulative
housing 1, terminals secured to the housing 1, a middle shielding
plate 3, a metallic EMI collar 7. The shield 5 define a front
mating cavity or port with a tongue of the housing 1 therein for
receiving a complementary connector. A metallic bracket 6 may be
fixed to a bottom of the shield 5 for supporting purpose. The
formation of the sealing member 4 in accordance with the present
invention will be detailed later.
[0019] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the insulative housing 1 includes
separately insert molded, first body 11, second body 12, and third
body 13. The first body 11 has a base 111 and a tongue 112.
Similarly, the second body 12 has a base 121 and a tongue 122; the
third body 13 has a base 131 and a tongue 132. The third body 13 is
insert molded at a second shot after the first body 11 is insert
molded with associated terminals 21, the second body 12 is insert
molded with associated terminals 22, and the middle shielding plate
3 is placed therebetween through engaging slot 113 and protrusion
123 structure. Associated terminals on the first and second bodies
11 and 12 are disposed within a space 133 at the tongue 132.
Notably, the bases 111, 121 and 131 commonly form a complete base,
and the tongues 112, 122 and 132 commonly form a complete
tongue.
[0020] Each of the terminals 21 and 22 has a contacting portion 211
or 212 and a soldering portion 221 or 222. The terminals are so
designed and arranged as to enable a reversible connector mating at
two orientations. The soldering portions 221 and 222 are arranged
on a same plane in two rows.
[0021] The middle shielding plate 3 has a base portion 31 and a
tongue portion 32.
[0022] Referring again to FIGS. 3-6, the metallic shield 5 has a
top wall 51, a bottom wall 52, a pair of side walls 53 between the
top and bottom walls, and a rear wall 54 continuing the top wall
but separate from the bottom wall. The side wall 53 has a leg 531
for engaging a notch 134 of the third body 13.
[0023] The metallic bracket 6 has an arcuate main portion 61, a
baffle 62 extending from a rear of the main portion, and a pair of
side board locks 63. The baffle 52 is positioned behind a rear of
the bottom wall 52.
[0024] The metallic collar 7 has an annular main portion 71 and a
plurality of fastening legs 72. The main portion 71 is mounted on a
rear widened part of the tongue 132 of the third body 13.
[0025] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the terminal protector 200 has a
protection portion 201 enclosing the tongue 132 of the third body
13 and a handle portion 202 extending outwardly. The portion 201
protects the terminal contacting portions 211 and 212 from
contamination during forming the sealing member.
[0026] To form the sealing member 4 on a finished but otherwise not
sealed connector, the protection portion 201 of the protector 200
is firstly positioned to enclose the tongue 132 of the insulative
housing 1. A front of the protection portion 201 may abut a
proximate end of the collar main portion 71 at this position. Then
sealing material is poured into an annular space defined among the
base 131, the tongue 132 (or the collar 7 if present), and the
shield 5. This is advantageously done when the protector 200 is at
an upright position, i.e., with the protection portion 201 at
bottom. With the sealing material solidified, the sealing member 4
is formed and sealed between the third body 13 and the metallic
shield 5. Therefore, the sealing member 4 is formed in front of the
base 131 and between the tongue 132 and the shield 5. It is noted
that the front mating opening or port defined by the inner housing
1 and the outer shield 5 is wide enough for easy flowing of the
sealing material, which creates a high quality of the sealing
member. The sealing material may suitably be glues or resins or the
like. Understandably, in the embodiment the connector is of a
horizontal type so the tongue is defined to extend
forwardly/horizontally. Anyhow, another embodiment may show a
vertical type in which the tongue is defined to upwardly extend. As
noted, the feature of the invention is to provide the sealing
member in the mating cavity, i.e., the front face of the base
rather than the rear face of the base. In another embodiment, the
sealing member may not be applied upon the root region of the
tongue but only around the interference region between the base and
the interior surface of the shield. In such a condition, the front
face of the base may be formed with a peripheral/annular slot in
the front face adjacent to the interior surface of the shield, and
the sealing member is filled within such a peripheral slot while
being spaced from the root region of the tongue.
* * * * *